Strainer for sugar juices



M. E. CARTER.

ST'RAINER FOR SUGARIJUICES.

APPUCATION FILED FB.7,1919. 1 232,737 Patented July 11, 1922.

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STRAINER FOR SUGAR JUICES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-7.1919.

M. E. CARTER. STHAINER FOR SUGAR JUICES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1919.

MARTIN E. CARTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

av ng. w r amu e tar s t. a an STRAINEB FOR Application filed February7, 1919.

To all whom z'' may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN E. CARTER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Strainers for Sugar Juices, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to liquid straining devices; and the object of myinvention is to provide a revolving structure in which sugar juices maybe strained. More particularly I have designed an improved structure forstraining defecated sugar juices, although it will be understood that itmay be employed for straining other liquids.

The structure forming the subject of my invention comprises a pluralityof rotating screening elements or strainers, of foraminous orreticulated material of inverted-cone shape disposed within a suitablecasing, from the bottom of which the strained juice is discharged; suchstrainers being mounted in vertical alignment upon a shaft which may bedriven or rotated by suitable means. In the present instance, I proposeto effect this rotation by a turbine structure, mounted at the upper endof the shaft, which will be driven by the entering juice, and such juicemay be introduced under pressure or under a sufficient head, (abouttwelve (12) feet), to drive the shaft with the straining or screeningelements at the desired speed.

My improved screens or strainers are made up of a series of sectionscomprising removable frames to which the reticulated or foraminousmaterial is secured, and these frames are adapted to engage ribs securedat their upper ends to annular rings and at their lower ends to specialforms of hubs carried by the central shaft and more particularlydescribed hereinafter.

While I may employ any suitable number of straining elements, I haveshown in the present instance three inverted-coneor funq nel-shapedelements, one above another; the lower straining structure being thelargest, and these straining structures comprise successively finerstraining mediums, from top to bottom. The upper screen may be ofphosphor bronze cloth or gauze, having about sixty meshes to the squareinch; the second screen may of phosphor bronze cloth or gauze, havingabout eighty (80) meshes to the square inch, while the lower screen maybe of phosphor bronze cloth or Specification of Letters Patent.

SUGAR JUICES.

Serial No. 275,522.

gauze, having about one hundred and ten (110) meshes to the square inch.Other metallic material to form these screens may be employed if founddesirable, and the mesh may be of such size as to properly perform thedesired function.

These and other features of my invention are more fully describedhereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a sectional elevation of an improved straining device madein accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2, is a partial plan view, partly in section on the line IIII, Fig.1

Fig. 3, is a sectional plan View on the line IH III, Fig. 1, showing theupper strainer.

Fig. 4, is an enlarged sectional view of the central portion of thescreening structure; showing the central shaft to which the screensupporting hubs are attached.

Figs. 5 and 6, are enlarged sectional views of one of the hubs to whichthe screen sections are secured. I

Fig. 7, is a plan view of one of the hubs showing one of the screensections secured thereto.

Fig. 8, is a sectional plan view on the line VHL-VIII, Fig. 5.

Figs. 9 and 10, are sectional views illustrating one of the turbinebuckets, taken on the line X-X, Fig. 2, and

Figs. 11 and 12, are sectional views illustrating details of myinvention.

In the drawings, 1 represents a suitable casing within which the screensor straining elements may be contained. This casing may be provided witha ring 2 whereby it may be supported by floor beams 3, or other means,and if desired the top of the structure may be braced or stayed by asuitable ring l, and entirely covered by a top or cover 5.

Centrally disposed with respect to the easing and the screens is a shaft6, which may have a ball bearing support 7 suitably mounted at the upperend of the structure, and a step bearing 8, with an interposed ball race8, at the bottom of the casing. If desired, the lower bearing may have aspecial lubricating device comprising a cylinder 9 from which lubricantmay be forced by a plunger 9 through a pipe 10 to the step bearing.

\Vithin the casing 1 are disposed a plurality of funnelorinverted-cone-shaped straining or screening elements 11, 12 and 13, madeup of suitable foraminous or reticulated material, which may beperforated plates, or sheets of wire gauze, 11, 12 and 13, carried byremovable frames 14, and these straining or screening elements arepreferably progressively finer from the upper structure to the lowerstructure.

Each of the strainer or screen structures includes a ring 17 at the top,to which ribs 18 may be secured; the lower ends of said ribs beingconnected to tubular hubmembers 19, 19 and 19', respectively, formingdischarge outlets for said screens; each of said tubular outlet membersincluding hubs 20, 20 or 2-0", respectively, whereby they may be securedto the shaft 6; and bracing arms or spokes 2'1 connecting the hubs 20,20 and 20", with the tubular members 19, 19 and 19 respectively.

The tubular members 19, 19 and 19", are

provided with seats 22 for the ribs, which may be secured thereto byrivets or other fastening means 23. The sheets of foraminous orreticulated screening material 11, 12 and 13, are carried by theremovable frames 14, above referred to, and these frames are adapted toenter grooves 24 at the sides of the ribs, which grooves may be formedby strips 25 attached to said ribs by suitable means as rivets 26; thetubular members preferably having flattened portions 27 between the ribsupon which the lower ends of the screen-carrying frames 14 may rest.

As shown in Figs. 1, at and 5, of my present construction, the hubs andthe tubular members supporting the screens or strainer sections may beformed integrally with deflectors 28, disposed between said screens,whereby the juice passing through the tubular members will be deflectedand properly distributed to the next lower screen.

These split collars or sleeves are disposed above and below the hubs,and in addition to their lnternal threads or annular grooves,

they are externally threaded at 35 for the reception of nuts 36 whichserve to hold said split collars together, as well as binding upon theupper and lower ends of the hubs.

In lieu of providing the deflectors for the lower portion of therespective screens integral with the tubular discharge members 19, 19 or19 thereof, or with the hubs 20, 20 or between the hub proper, indicatedat 20, and

the lower split collar 31 and the nut 36 securing the same in place uponthe shaft. In this form of structure, the hub may have a projection orlug 37, and that portion of the deflector 28 in engagement with theshaft may have a seat 38 receiving the same, or the relation of thesecooperating elements may be reversed, if desired. This construction isdesigned to prevent rot-ative movement between the parts and tofacilitate assembly of the same, and while it is more or less desirableit is not essential, and it is entirely within the scope of myinvent-ion to omit means between the hub and the deflector designed toprevent rotative movement of the same with respect to each other whenthey are formed of independent parts.

At the upper portion of the structure, I provide a casing 40 to whichthe juice may be delivered from an inletopening 41. *Within a chamber 42formed by this casing is a turbine structure secured to the shaft 6whereby the entering juice may drive said shaft and the screening orstraining elements carried thereby. This turbine structure may comprisea suitable plate 45, having a hub 47, secured to the shaft 6, and havinga plurality of buckets or blades 48. The plate a5 is apertured at 49directly adjacent each bucket or blade so that the juice may drop awayfrom the plate as well as discharge from the outer edge of said plateagainst the wall of the casing 40. The juice enters the casing at anangle tangent to the buckets, and striking the same effects rotation ofthe shaft. A sectional view of one of the buckets is shown in Figs. 9and 10; showing also one of the openings adjacent the buckets. Guidingor defleeting members 50 are preferably carried by the underside of theplate 415, and these may be inclined as shown in Fig. 9, or as shown inFig. 10.

The casing 40 is preferably provided with a depending flange or guard51, which may be curved and which may be secured at 52 to the top orcover 5; such guard insuring discharge of all the entering juice intothe screen or strainer 11. Carried by the shaft 6, or the plate 45,directly below the turbine structure, is a conical deflector 53, whichmay screening action, and so on until it empties from the lower screen19 into a receptacle 54, carried by the casing and having a pipe 55leading therefrom through which all the dirt and separated matterremoved from the juice discharges. This receptacle has a central raisedportion 56 surrounding the shaft, and this may be protected or closedagainst ingress of juice delivered from the lower screen, by a conicaldeflector 57 disposed within said chamber and carried by a collar 58secured to the shaft 6.. This deflector is preferably provided with agland 59 and with packing to prevent the entrance of any juice. T hestrained juice, from which the dirt and any other objectionable foreignmatter has been removed, passes from the casing 1 through a suitableoutlet such as indicated at 60.

Carried by the casing above the upper edge of the lower screening orstraining element, I may provide a deflector pan 61 to insure that alljuice entering the straining structure actually passes through thescreens.

To prevent any strained juice passing into the discharge chamber formedby the receptacle 54 with which the outlet from the lower screencommunicates, the tubular member 19 of the latter, which is slightlylonger than those of the upper screening elements, as indicated at 62,may be provided with a deflector 63 whereby any juice following down thescreen or ribs may be thrown outwardly into the lower part of the casingand away from the point of delivery of the dirt and filtered material;such deflector 63 overlying the receptacle 5 In order that the screensmay be cleaned of any collected matter should such action ever becomenecessary, in lieu of removing the screen-sections, I may provide steamjets for the purpose. To this end, pipes 66 may be introduced at oneside of the apparatus and be disposed directly adjacent the screens, atthe same angle and parallel therewith. These pipes are suitablyconnected to a manifold pipe 67, in communication with a source ofsupply, and are perforated so as to be capable of delivering steam jetsupon the screens as these are rotated so that solid material isdislodged and cleaning of the screens may be effected while the machineis in operation. The cleaning of the screens may go on while the juiceis being strained, or it may be done after straining has been effected.

I preferably stay the several screens with respect to the shaft 6 bymeans of suitable rods 70, pivotally connected at 71 to a hub 80 and tothe tubular members 19 and 19*, respectively, and at 72 to ears 73secured to the ribs of the respective screens, whereby I am able toavoid all danger of the screens running out of true. These stay rods arepreferably provided with turn-buckles 74: to permit adjustment withrespect to the nor, as by threading, pinning, riveting, or

screen walls and shaft and secure proper alignment; thereby insuringproper operation of the screens.

The upper end of the shaft is provided with a suitable ball bearingsupport; forms of which are shown in Figs. 11 and 12. In Fig. 11, theupper end of the shaft is provided with a suit-able collar 75, which maybe attached thereto in any approved man- 75 the like, and interposedbetween the same and a box 76 carried by the upper portion of the casingare a series of anti-friction balls 77.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 12, the shaft is shown as'provided witha ring or collar 75, with a ball race 78 between which and another ballrace 7 8 carried by the box 7 6, anti-friction balls 77 are provided. Inthis view, the box is shown as provided with a screw cap 79 closing anopening whereby lubricant may be introduced to the bearing; loosefibrous material being shown above the shaft to prevent ingress of dirtand dust.

I claim:

1. In a strainer for sugar juices and the like, the combination of acasing; a vertical shaft therein; a funnel-shaped straining screencarried by said shaft, means for in troducing juice to said screen, adepending flange extending within the upper zone of said screen, adeflector for the incoming juice tending to throw it toward said flangeand into the upper portion of the screen, means for rotating the screen,and separate outlets leading from the bottom of the easing for thedischarge of juice and the material strained therefrom.

2. The combination in a strainer for sugar juices and the like of acasing; a vertical shaft therein; a plurality of funnel shaped strainingscreens; hubs mounted on the shaft adjacent the bottoms of the screensrespectively; tubular members rigidly attached to said hubs and to thebottom of the screens 110 respectively; conical deflectors alsoconnected to the hubs and positioned to outwardly deflect juice passingthrough the tubular members; means for supplying juice to the topmostscreen; an outlet conduit for ma- 115 terial delivered to the tubularmember of the lowest screen; and a second outlet for discharging thestrained juice from the casing.

3. In a strainer for sugar juices and the like, the combination of acasing; a vertical 120 shaft therein; a funnel shaped screening carriedby said shaft; means for introducing juice to said screen including arotating plate having buckets, against which the incoming juice strikesand formed with open- 12E; ings; deflectors below said openings; adepending flange extending within the upper part of said screen; adeflector for the incoming juice carried by the plate and positioned todeliver said juice into the upper 18% 'p'a'rtof the "screen, andseparate outlets leading :from the bottom of the casing for thedischarge of juice and the "material strained therefrom, respectively.

I 4;. In a strainer for sugar juices and the like, the combination ofthe'casing; a vertical shaft therein; a funnel shaped straining screencarried by said shaft; a depending flange extending Within the upperpart of said'screen; rotating means operatively connected to the shaftfor introducing juice to the said screen; a deflector forthe incomingjuice extending outwardly to a position immediately adjacent the upperpart of the screen, and 'to the lower edge of said flange; a tubularmember carried by the shaft to which the lower part of the screen issecured; and separate outlets leading from the lower part of thestructure for the discharge of juice, and thematerial strainedtherefrom.

MARTIN E. CARTER.

